space

An empty area, or room available for people or things.

• There is no space here.
• Leave some space between the chairs.
• Do we have enough space for another bed?

How to use it: space for someone/something (There is space for two more people.); space to do something (We need space to store our bikes.)

Similar words: room, area

Common phrases: enough space, storage space, space for something, make space

The area beyond Earth's air, where stars and planets are.

• The rocket went into space.
• Astronauts live and work in space.
• Would you like to travel through space?

Similar words: outer space

Common phrases: outer space, space travel, in space, space station

A set of mathematical objects treated as points, with rules describing how they relate.

• These vectors form a space.
• The function maps points into a different space.
• We studied the properties of a three-dimensional vector space.

Common phrases: vector space, metric space, hilbert space

To arrange things with gaps between them.

• Space the chairs evenly.
• We spaced the trees two meters apart.
• Can you space these pictures farther apart?

How to use it: space things + distance + apart (Space the plants thirty centimeters apart.); space things out (Space the chairs out evenly.)

Similar words: separate, spread out

Common phrases: space something apart, space something evenly, space out something

To stop noticing what is happening because your mind wanders.

• I space out when I am tired.
• He spaced out during the lecture.
• Sorry, I spaced out and missed your question.

How to use it: space out (I sometimes space out during long meetings.)

Similar words: daydream, zone out

Opposites: concentrate

Common phrases: space out, space out completely

To add or adjust gaps between letters, words, or lines of writing.

• Space the lines evenly.
• The printer spaced the letters too widely.
• This paragraph is poorly spaced and hard to read.

Common phrases: space the lines, space words evenly, space the text